Matthew Rodriquez- Geologist/Geographer Avika Parlecha- Naturalist h gnb mjk Desai- Publlicist Travis Hammack- Climatologist

Temperate Rainforest Locations-

Temperate Rainforests-

Animal Life ( and other stuff )
Unlike the tropical rainforest, the temperate rainforest does not have as much variation of animal and plant life. The animals in temperate rainforests are fit for mountain life and prefer plant leaves rather than fruit. Animals are more toned down in their colors with browns and grays rather than bright colors of the tropical rainforest animals. Black bears, elk, deer, and river otters can be found in the temperate rainforests of North America. You can find many varieties of fish and birds too. Some of these may include woodpeckers, jays, robins, and wrens.

To protect them from the sun, wind, and rain, most animals live on or near the ground where lots of food is found. The primary consumers are mostly small animals. The forest benefits food, shelter in the moss, mild temperatures, and humidity, which inspires the growth of many insects. The forest is a luxury for mosquitos! There are also small mammals such as voles (tiny mammals like mice), chipmunks, squirrels, and seed-eating birds. Larger animals, like deer and elk, can also find food in this biome.

Mating season:

The spring is the mating season for most animals in the temperate rainforest. The forest is filled with the sounds of mating calls from various animals. The first animals to call for their mates in early spring are Spring Peppers. (These frogs are very tiny and usually are less than one inch long.) Soon after the Spring Peppers come out, songbirds return from their southern winter home. Male songbirds try to seduct female songbirds by singing passionate songs. Calls of attraction are lessened once the animals mate. New parents begin to focus on their families. The forest is filled with the incidental sound of woodpeckers pecking and the chatter of insects after mating season has ended

Though silence is overwhelming, the forest still thrives with activity and life. Raccoons, flying squirrels, bats, and opossums, otherwise known as nocturnal animals, sleep in the trees during the day and have an active life at night. They wake up to hunt for food. Other animals such as deer and black bears, are usually lethargic during the summer, and become more active when the weather gets colder. It is much easier for prey and predators to hide from each other during the night. Animals that are awake during the day have a much harder time to hide. Some animals burrow underground for safety from predators. Pey can also use the environment to hide from predators. An example of this is birds. They nest in trees and raise their young in them. Predators can't see them and can't reach them.

A List of Temperate Rainforest Animals:

Ant
Bald Eagle
Black Bear
Brown Bear
Beaver
Cardinal
Collared Peccary
Deer
Dhole
Earthworm
Fox
Frog external image header_temperate_rainforest.jpg

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Mallard Duck
Muskrat
Newt
Nightingale
Opossum
Porcupine
Rabbit
Raccoon
Red Fox
Red-Talied Hawk
Scorpion
Skunk
Squirrel
Turkey
Weasel
White-Tailed Deer

Plant Life

Some of the world's most amazing plant life can be found in the temperate rainforest of the Pacific Northwest. The Redwood Tree is the most popular plant life in this area. Redwoods can grow to be 300 feet in height and can live to be 2,000 years old. They are usually found in central California to southern Oregon. Western hemlocks and sitka spruce trees can also be found in temperate rainforests and can grow to be over 100 feet tall. The red alder is the most reliable resource of hardwood in the Northwest and flourishes in acidic soil on lower mountain slopes.
Trees and shrubs are always a major part of the temperate forest that survives through each season. The spring is when the trees come to life and start to grow. This is because, in the spring, sap starts to flow in the trees, bringing nutrients to every branch. Sap allows trees to grow and leaf out. Different trees grow at different times. In the woody plants a growing pattern exists. First, the buds on the smaller shrubs open. Then the smaller trees, including the black cherry and dogwood, leaf out. Lastly, the larger trees take turns leafing out. For example, the maple grows its leaves earlier in spring while the oak reserves its leaves for later in the spring when the temperatures get warmer. In mid-June the forest's canopy is fully formed and it becomes a place of life, beauty, and shade.

Climate
Temp: Mild, 32-68 degrees farenheit because of nearby oceans
Humidity: 60%-80%
Precipitation: 60-200 in. a year, there can be snow in higher elevations.
Because of high rainfall and high humidity, epiphytes are common.

The Temperate Rain Forest has
only two seasons, mild and wet. Forest fires rarely occur whic lets the forest grow old and flourish with natural beauty.
Geology
soil composition-

O- comprised of organic matter (dead leaves and other debris)
A- mixture of organic and inorganic material
B- minerals and clay collect
C- inorganic material
Soil Orders-
Spodosols-
Soils in which mixtures of organic matter and aluminum have built up, generally a gray to light gray in color. Most spodosols have a tiny amount of silicate clay. This class is mostly sandy, loamy, coarse, or silty.
Inceptisols-
Soils of humid and subhumid regions that have lost bases or iron and aluminum but has some weatherable minerals. They do not have a horizon enriched with either silicate clay or with a mixture of aluminum and organic carbon. Argrillic, natric kandic, spodic and oxic horizons are not included.

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